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The UC Santa Cruz Baskin School of Engineering hosted the inaugural meeting of the NSF PLUS Alliance Western Regional Hub at the 2024 Society for Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
This gathering brought together representatives from 13 institutions—spanning research labs, community colleges, and four-year universities—all committed to empowering women and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students and faculty in engineering fields.
The two-day meeting was highly collaborative, with participants sharing challenges, successes, and strategies for fostering inclusivity and support in STEM. Key topics of discussion included ways to reduce barriers to entry and create pathways to long-term success in engineering for underrepresented groups.
One highlight was the formation of four working groups focused on Climate and Culture, Graduate Student Success, Undergraduate Student Success, and Workforce Development. These groups will lead initiatives within the hub to ensure that students and faculty alike have access to resources, mentorship, and opportunities to thrive.
The convening set a strong foundation for ongoing collaboration, and the participants are excited to continue this momentum through virtual follow-up meetings scheduled for later this year. The success of this initial gathering signals a promising future for the Western Regional Hub’s mission to broaden participation in engineering.